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One former Wildcat has a slight delay on his NBA debut. James Young, who was involved in a minor car accident just days before the Draft, had to sit out during the Boston Celtics’ first summer league game. When asked whether the neck injury he sustained during the crash is short-term, Young answered, “No question.” Boston’s coaches and training staff are still evaluating Young as he continues to participate in the team’s shoot-arounds, but are playing it safe. Here is what coach Brad Stevens had to say about the situation:

“He did some more stuff yesterday as far as non-contact on the bike. I think he’ll be continuing to do some of that stuff today, but I haven’t been given a timeline on it. And, obviously, he was in the car accident a couple weeks ago. It’s Summer League, we want to be very, very smart about this with him. He’s anxious to play, he’s antsy, he wants to [play]. But at the same time, I want to be cognizant of the big picture here.”

Young hasn’t totally been ruled out of summer league competition, as the Celtics have at least three more games this week, beginning tomorrow against Indiana. His status is still up in the air, but hopefully we will be able to watch his debut sometime this week. If Young isn’t cleared to play this week, he will have to wait until September for their first preseason game. Boston will not be one of the teams participating in the Las Vegas Summer League starting on the 11th.

It’s easy to believe that an outstanding athlete, one year out of college, is reading at the 5th grade level. And it’s certainly nothing new. Way back in 1956 as a teacher I gave our HS QB the failing grades he deserved in two different classes because he couldn’t read and had found that he didn’t have to work in order to get promoted each year. Since I was teaching back in my home town, old buddies and everyone else were on my case. Know what? At the end of the year he was promoted and allowed to play football the following season anyhow.

I guess school administrators feel they are doing such kids a favor. Or maybe they’re more interested in fielding the best possible sports teams, regardless of the consequences for the kids as they come out of school and enter the world of an adult work force.

EXAMPLE: Eric Bledsoe…My sister teaches at his high school in Alabama and says everyone knew what was going on with his grades but just watched it happen because he was being covered for in the end. Sad situation, not to mention it still happens every year…

I’m the biggest UK fan.. Lifetime season ticket holder. I go to most away games and especially the big venue games… What’s up with the “troll” label for people who don’t go complete homer with anything related to UK and or it’s players? So what if James Young does read on a 5th grade level? UK and all these other colleges are recruiting these children and young men (and women) to play sports.. As long as they don’t have a learning disability they should have a chance to be mentored and tutored.. Most of these kids are coming from poor neighborhoods—
Not prep private schools.
I see nothing wrong or “trollish” though for having an opinion that doesn’t come across as totally homer and out of touch…

Anyone who’s spent any time (whether in class or outside of) with a college athlete knows that a great deal of them aren’t the brightest. Oh well, it is what it is. But to act like it happens at just one school is naïve. I guarantee that what’s happening at UNC happens at a lot of other schools. Again… it is what it is. They play sports, and it doesn’t take a great deal of intelligence to do what they do.